


Mary-Jane (Book One)

by Indigo_Roses



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-30
Updated: 2017-06-30
Packaged: 2018-11-21 08:45:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11353944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indigo_Roses/pseuds/Indigo_Roses
Summary: When they were only children, Sam, Dean, and Mary-Janes mother was horrificly murdered in front of their father in an unusual house fire. After their mother's murder, their father took an interest in the supernatural and the unexplained and raised the siblings as warriors - with skills to fight back against the unknown and protect the innocent. 22 years later, all three of them fully grown, their father suddenly disappears on a supposedly routine supernatural hunt. Sam, Dean, and Mary Jane search for their father and along the way help anyone with a supernatural problem using Johns journal, which contains a guide to any supernatural being that he encountered in his life time, and that hopefully contains clues on where to track down their father before its too late.





	1. The Road So Far

The silence that filled the car was an apprehensive one, both brothers were struggling to find the words to speak next. It had been nearly 45 minutes since Dean had climbed into his 1967 Chevrolet Impala with Sam in the passenger seat. Though the silence was tense, it was only due to the fact that they were both hesitant to change the subject from their father, who had been missing for a bit over a month. With a vague trail, and an even vaguer voice mail that redirected Johns calls to Deans cell phone number. Though, like with nearly everything he did, Dean took control and spoke first.

"How much farther until Mary-Janes?" He asked, his voice gruff and deep, like it normally was when he was serious.

"Around an hour and forty-five minutes. Why?"  Sam asked curiously.

Dean shrugged, his eyes focused on the road as his hands gripped the steering wheel. "Just asking. Why did she move so damn far?" He grumbled, fingers drumming on the wheel.

"Well, it's worth it to her, I guess." He shrugged. "It's the same reason I moved to California, to pursue what makes me happy."

The older Winchester let a sigh escape lips. "Yeah, that makes sense, I guess...What is it she does again?" He inquired.

"She's a criminalist, Dean. She looks over evidence in crimes and stuff." He explained, and Dean only nodded,not wanting to inquire any further on his sister's job. If he was curious later on he could always ask her. It wasn't long before the two fell into silence again, Sam looking out the window and staring at the trees that passed them by. The silence that blanketed the Impala, however, was short lived, due to Dean reaching over to the center console and turning up the volume dial, so the Def Leppard was blaring through the speakers, filling the silence for the remainder of the way there.

 

 

It was a rather chilly night, even for New York City. Perhaps it was the incoming cold front from the north, or the strong breeze that's what the streets, though if there was one thing Mary Jane knew for sure, it was  The fact that days like these were the reason why she was thankful she worked in a laboratory setting. Mary Jane Winchester walked down the sidewalk away from her workplace, arms wrapped around her torso In an attempt to increase her body temperature and stay warm, though this proved to have little success. She walks swiftly trying to reach her apartment before she developed a cold from the weather, and her casual work attire hardly did a thing  to keep the heat radiating from her body, insulated.  It was a rather casual day at the precinct, due to the fact that she did not have to appear in court to testify her forensic analysis against another criminal that had littered the streets of New York. She turned a corner on the dark streets, only illuminated by the streetlights and  headlights from passing cars. It was late, so everything was normal, except for the pit that was forming in her stomach. Why was she so nervous? She knew why. She could identify this feeling any day. There were chills going down her spine, and it wasn't from the cold weather. Goosebumps raised on her arms, nausea was stirring in her stomach, and with each step her caution increased. Was she being watched? Or had the paranoia she had been suffering from finally take a more permanent residence in her mind?

It had all started around four weeks ago, when Mary-Jane had gotten a phone call from California, which said that her younger brothers apartment building had caught fire. That already sent her into a panic, but when she also heard that his girlfriend, Jessica Moore, had been confirmed as dead, but her brother had fled the scene, and was nowhere to be found. This of course, compelled her to leave him a flurry of texts, calls, and even emails expressing her concerns and condolences, although there was no response to any of them. She soon found herself checking her phone every moment she got, and her email every time she had sat down on her laptop, only to find an empty inbox each time, a tumor of worry metastasized in her heart each passing moment.

 

That was when Mary Jane had enough. She had been walking with this feeling taken control of her thoughts like an intrusive tsunami of paranoia. After a few moments  of her steps slowing with caution, she quickly whipped around her blonde hair flying behind her, and her eyes narrowing only to find-

nothing. The only thing behind her was an appalling amount of traffic and an empty sidewalk. A frown played on her lips as her green eyes darted around any area in her view. Across the street, behind her and even in the windows of her apartment building that she had approached only moments ago. Nothing. No one. Mary-Jane found herself holding her breath, in attempt to hear footsteps coming towards her, or rustling inside. Nothing. She squeezed her eyes shut and exhaled slowly, calming her shaky hands that were shoved in her jacket pockets. She blew a strand of blonde hair out of her eyes as she paused, regaining her composure fully before turning to enter her apartment building. She was met with instant relief the interior of the lobby was much warmer than the nearly icy outdoors. Show most instantly shed her leather jacket and her scarf, folding it up sloppily before unzipping her messenger bag and shoving it inside, in between her lab coat and her laptop, leaving her in her battered "The Clash" t-shirt, a pair of Jeans, and converse sneakers.   She blew some hair out of her face and brushed it back with her fingers, only to be met with the smiling face of Jeffrey Smalls. Jeffrey Smalls what's the friendliest landlord you would ever meet, eager to help new tenants, or hand small candies to the residents children. He was in his mid-50s, with graying hair, though for an aging man, he still had dreams of people watching him on "the big screen", as Jeffrey put it. While he was tall, and had a rather clear speaking voice and a flair for the dramatic, Mary Jane would always feel a bit  of pity for him, since she, along with the rest of the building, was well aware that with each passing day, Jeffreys dream was less and less likely to become a reality. Though, it was an unspoken rule throughout the whole block, that no one was to tell Jeffrey of the harsh reality.

Jeffrey shot her and enthusiastic smile, and waved over at the young woman kindly.  If there was one thing you could count on Jeffrey Smalls for, it was for his smile to brighten up anyone's day. Her frown had turned into a faint grin  as she waved over gently. Her laminate badge from work still hanging around her neck, she strolled over to the the stairs, ready to climb up and retreat to her apartment for the night,    
"See you tomorrow, Jeffrey! I'm gonna head in for the night." Mary Jane called out to him, which was met with an even goofier smile and a small "You too".  She smiled to herself  as she continued to walk up the steps, removing her cell phone from her back pocket, flipping it open and frowning as the screen lit up. No calls, no text, and she wasn't able to check her email until she could take her laptop out of her bag with her jacket and scarf and her lab coat in her apartment. She shut it and ran her  thumb over the front of the small black flip phone that rested in her palm which now read 9:30 p.m.  
"Dammit Sam.." she muttered to herself as she moved to shove her phone back into her pocket. She approached her floor, her faint smile that Jeffrey had gifted her with, had been replaced  yet again, with a somewhat annoyed frown. She exit the elevator, and trudged down the hallway as her mind began racing again. The lack of communication between her and her younger brother had caused her heart to grow heavy with worry, and she was even debating on calling her older brother, though multiple aspects had stopped her every time. First, there was the fact that Mary Jane had declined Dean and her father's invitation to go back on the road with them, causing her to leave her job and her home and everything she had built behind. That in itself left the two siblings  on rather sour terms. Not only that, but  Sam had decided followed in his older sister's footsteps, and had pursued a higher education and a career. This meant, with Dean constantly on the road, and Sam stationed in in California, there was nearly no possible way that Dean could know where her younger brother had gone to after Jessica Moores mysterious death.  

 

Mary Jane eventually approached her apartment door,  fishing her apartment key out of her pocket, before placing it in the lock turning it and entering her apartment, slamming the door shut behind her. She tossed her bag down next to the door of her small apartment that consisted  only of a bedroom, bathroom, a small living area, and a kitchen. The wallpaper was peeling, the tiles in the kitchen were cracked, and the wood floors in the living room creaked, but it was the only place she could truly call home. She left her bag by the door and flipped on the light switch, illuminating her living room and revealing her beaten and slightly stained sofa, and her run down television set across from it, a hand me down coffee table in between them. She scanned over her belongings in her apartment, searching for anything suspiciously out of place. Still nothing. Exactly the way she left it. But if it was truly nothing, then how come she felt as if though every step she took should be easily planned?  As if her life depended on it?

'No.' she thought, "No, you're being ridiculous." Her mind told her as she kicked off her raggedy converse sneakers, both of them flying off in either direction. 'But you know what's not ridiculous? A nice warm shower." Her subconscious told her. If there was something she learned in all of her experiences with stress, it was that there was nothing a nice warm shower couldn't fix. She sighed and took her long hair into her hands, tying it back in a loose ponytail. She shuffled out her living room and into her surprisingly spotless bathroom, which was sparkling compared to the rest of her quaint apartment. She walked over to her bathtub and her turned on the warm water, and began to prepare for her shower.

 

* * *

 

 

"You know, I'm still standing by my decision to go through the front door. That's the best option for us." Sam reasoned with his older brother as Dean exit the Impala, taking a step back to look up at the apartment building that his sister stayed in. After a moment or two, Dean looked back at Sam, somewhat incredulously. "No way, man. We know what apartment she's in, right? There's a fire escape right there, just climb up and-"

"And what, Dean? Break in? You're forgetting she works for the police department." Sam reminded his older, but not necessarily brighter older brother.

"Yeah, but she's not a detective, Sam. She's a lab geek." He shot back and he rubbed his hands together, as he eyed the apartment that Sam had pointed out as hers.

Sam's frown only deepened as he glanced between the dimly lit window, and his dim-witted brother. "Okay, yeah.." He agreed, but searched for another reason to avoid doing anything illegal. "But come on, you broke into my apartment, and I beat the shit out of you. Imagine what MJ will do." He reasoned. "And if you get arrested, I'm not a lawyer yet, so I can't exactly help you."

Dean rolled his eyes at his younger brother as he  approached and hopped onto the fire escape. his face contorted in a slight smirk. "You can either stay here, and wait a million years for me to come down with Baby-Sis," He started which made Sam cringe internally. He hated when Dean called her that, since Mary-Jane was older than Sam and the nickname even drove MJ insane. "Or, you can come with me and pay her a nice visit, which I'm sure she'll appreciate." He told him, and Sam just stared at his brother incredulously, before shaking his head and scoffing, moving to follow him. "You've got to be kidding me, Dean." He muttered before climbing up after him. Fortunately enough for the brothers, the fire escape had stopped directly underneath her kitchen window, which was open a crack. Unfortunately for them, however, sometimes the two brothers weren't as stealthy as they hoped.

 

 

* * *

 

Alright, so Mary-Janes shower lasted plenty longer than expected, but in her defense, it was worth it. She got out of her shower and checked her clock on her phone again, which now read 10:07pm. But Mary-Jane felt as if it was a well deserved one, since she had a rather stressful day, which was becoming more and more common in her line of work. She was absolutely swamped with case analysis. A double homicide, a breaking and entering case, a questionable suicide,  and she had to appear in court on Saturday to testify her toxicology report on the Van Houten case. She was swamped, it was a lot of work for one criminalist to run individually. That, on top of her brother being MIA, had taken nearly all of the energy out of her. She yawned and rubbed her eyes as she wrapped the towel tightly around her body, moving to walk back to to her bedroom and change. She ran her fingers through her wet hair, frowning softly as she secured her towel around her body, moving to grab her go-to pajama shirts, which was really one of her old Def Leppard shirts that was much too big for her, and a pair of leggings.

Once she was dressed, she shut all of her drawers and worked on towel drying her hair when she jumped, nearly dropping the towel in her hands. She heard a crash, and mumbling in her kitchen, followed by heavy footsteps. This didn't scare Mary-Jane, at first. As a matter of fact, for some reason, she was excited. Excited someone was breaking into her home, because it meant that she wasn't just paranoid. Someone must have been following her, and watching her to figure out where she lived, but who?

'Or what?' She thought to herself, which brought her out of her state of sudden excitement, back into slight panic. Someone was in her apartment, with unknown intentions. To rob her, rape her, kill her, and that was assuming they were human, the possibilities were endless, but Mary-Jane wasn't about to make herself a victim of any of it. She was going to fight for her home, or whatever they were here for. She slowly crept out of her bedroom, silently opening the bedroom door as she snuck out, trying to step lightly to avoid the creaking wood floors that covered the living room and hallway, her only obstacles to get to the kitchen where she heard one small "Shhh!" which caused her to freeze. She knew what that meant, there was more than one of them. But it didn't scare her all that much. She grew up with two tough brothers, and an even tougher father, all of whom were taught that you needed to fight for you life, or go down guns blazing. There was no in between. As a matter of fact, it made her angrier. He really brought back up? To break into a single woman's apartment? What was his plan, exactly? At least, she thought it was a he, judging from the heavy steps and the deep 'hush' he gave out.  She realized as she entered the kitchen, that the light from the living room hardly bled into the kitchen, which greatly limited her vision of the intruders. She could, however, make out two large forms, two men, one was much taller than the second, by maybe two or three inches, and they towered over Mary-Jane, who was only 5'3". When she lifted her foot off of the hardwood floor, it creaked loud enough for both men to turn around and stare at her in the dark. This set her into a panic as she reached to punch the shorter one in the jaw, which caused him to stumble back in surprise, and the other one to reach forward towards her, "Holy shit! Ma-" He started, but as soon as she saw him reach forward from the corner of her eye, she whipped around and kicked him in the stomach, knowing there would she a slight struggle to punch him in the jaw, and that he'd be more prepared to block that than a blow to the abdomen. It was only after the hard kick to the stomach that her hands flew to cover her mouth. She knew that voice, she had heard it over the phone a million times, stressing over her exams, calling for advice, and in her apartment when he'd come to stay for a week or two, sitting in her kitchen, gushing over Jessica Moore.

"Sam?!" She cried out, rushing over to flip the light switch, revealing her gargantuan younger brother, a hand in front of his abdomen, nearly doubling over. "Yeah! Yeah its me, I told Dean not to try and-" He was cut off when she raised a hand to silence him, looking over at  the other figure she punched, only to see her older brother leaning against the counter, holding his jaw with a cocky grin on his face. "Hey sis," He greeted her, and she just started at him in awe. "You both-- you --broke in-- and--" She stopped and frowned, folding her arms across her chest, obviously trying to mask her astonishment with frustration, her eyebrows furrowed and her chest puffed out to try and make herself seem  bigger and more intimidating, which hardly worked, though it was worth a try. "I believe I deserve an explanation from you two." She snapped, glaring at the two of them, her head shooting to look at Dean when he spoke.

"Dads on a hunting trip, and he hasn't been back in weeks." He explained simply, and Mary-Jane scoffed.

"Are you serious? You came to New York, broke into my apartment, with our younger brother just because Dad went on another one of his benders?!" She cried, becoming actually frustrated, and Sam shook his head, his shaggy hair messing up slightly as he did.

"I thought the same thing, he came to me weeks ago when Dad went missing, and I thought that but MJ..It's been weeks. You don't think that's a little strange?" He asked, and his older sister scoffed.

"No I don't think that's ridiculous! Sam, you know how dad is! He's probably passed out in a bar somewhere, living off of burgers and beer." She said him, exasperated now. "And you, you left! Left California and Jessicas family, and Stanford- and for what? A deadbeat dad?"

"Hey!" Dean spat, "Dad's not a dead beat! It's not our fault you left for college, you know!"

She rolled her eyes. "I left because there more to life than-"

"More to life than what? Saving people?! Hunting things?! The-"

"The family business, Dean, I know! I've heard the monologue a million times! There's more to life than just..just killing things that other people are too dumb to see!" She shouted, with each word her voice was raising. She was known for a fiery temper when it came to her brother, who knew just how to get under her skin.

"But it's what dad wants to do, it's what he always wanted to do, protect others, and hunt things, and- and..." There was a pause and Dean sighed, "This is our dad, Mary Jane. Our father. You really don't care?" He asked.

Mary-Jane just looked at her feet, biting on her lip. It wasn't often that the two would argue, she used to be like Dean, "Yes sir" and "No sir" attitude. But, just like everything else in the world, people change. Though if MJ really did change, why did that hit her in the heart so hard? Of course she cared about him, that was her father. She used to be "Daddy's little girl", which had its perks, of course. And he really did try and keep her and Sam safe, but when she grew out of her pigtails, it stopped. And though he grew harder on her as she aged, she always cared about her dad. Even after the night she left for college.

Dean scoffed, shaking his head and standing up straight. "Of course.." He muttered, "Whatever, Sam. I knew this was a waste of time, lets just...go."

Sam frowned deeper, "Dean, I-"

Mary-Jane looked at them quickly. "Listen..." She interjected, which started a silence between the brothers. "I...I haven't taken a sick day in...God knows how long. I'm sure I have enough saved up to...tag along for a little while. I'd have to call my job, but..." She sighed. "I'll help you guys. Alright? I'll help, let me just get my duffle bag and my stuff.." She told them, which noticeably surprised both of her brothers. "Dean, there's ice in the fridge. Let me get my weapons and my clothes, I'll be out in a few minutes just...don't touch anything." She ordered, and with that, she left her two astonished brothers in the kitchen, going into her bedroom.

She ran her fingers through her damp hair, her mind was spinning as she walked over to the closet in her room, slowly opening it and staring down at the dufflebag. Fake ID's, Guns, Stakes, Ammo, Silver, Holy Water, daggers,  anything you may need to exterminate anything that goes bump in the night. Is this what she was going back to? No, no it wasn't permanent, she would be back in no time, sitting in her lab, analyzing evidence and testifying in court for the same old run of the mill cases. Acting like it never happened. She swiftly moved to her dresser, opening and shutting drawers as she stuffed clothing into her duffel bag. T-shirts, Jeans, shorts, pajamas, socks, anything she could think of, that she'd need for the impending adventure ahead of her. She stared at the spotless dufflebag that moved from her closet for the first time in years, laying on her bed. At first glance, it only looked like a bag with the essentials, toothbrush, shampoo, conditioner, razor, hair brush, clothes. But she knew what was beneath. Glittering weapons, assortments of them  enough to the point where if anyone caught a glimpse of this, they'd think she was a serial killer, or a paranoid psychopath. Or both.

Mary-Jane turned to change her clothes, frowning softly as she stripped completely, then started to redress herself, lost in thought as she changed. She was worried, deep down. Not just about her father, but her brothers, too. It was ridiculous to even think that the two of them weren't affected by the events of the previous month. While Sam's traumatization was self evident, Deans was a much more complex wound. No father,  no sense of direction, lost. It wouldn't be easy, helping find her father and set him straight, but it had to be done, and it had to be done quickly, before any further damage could be made to the family.

Besides, who better to help than Sam, Dean, and Mary-Jane Winchester?


	2. The Shoemakers

**_Toledo, Ohio_ **

 

Despite the long and somewhat eventful night, Mary-Jane could not sleep. Maybe it was the multiple bumps they hit on the highway, or the music that played during the car ride, but her eyes remained open for the entirety of the nine hour trip, staring at the back of the passenger seat where her brother sat, sleeping soundly. She drummed her fingers on her thigh as she listened to the music passively during the otherwise quiet car ride. Her and Dean participated in some passive conversation between rock albums, though she didn't want to talk to her older brother for such long periods of time, she was thinking about this situation, trying to place some logic into this situation she had found herself in.

Mary-Jane had left the previous night to help her two brothers Sam and Dean, find their father, though the longer she sat in the back of the car, the more she was regretting her decision to tag along. She had a job, a life, a salary, a home back in New York, and what was she trading it for? Shortened lifespan, and impending alcoholism. And all for what? To chase their dad on another dead end lead on a dead end case? With their luck, they'd find John Winchester holed up in a motel room, drunk and watching infomercials all hours of the night, it certainly wouldn't be the first time. While she was thinking negatively of her father now, sitting in the back of the impala allowed a wave of nostalgia wash over her, and as sat curled up in her seat, her knees to her chest and her head leaning against the window. MJ couldn't help but reminisce on the good memories she had in this car, her Dad and older brother seated in the front, with Sam and MJ in the back as Guns N' Roses blared throughout the car, the two seated in the front singing along rather off-key, Mary-Jane nudging her younger brother to join in on the mock-mini karaoke session. She could remember it so clearly, the smell of the leather seats, the laughter aching her chest and smile aching her cheeks.

It wasn't always this joyous though. There were there times where the three children were left alone in a cheap motel room for days, only with one another. John would always try to come back within a few hours when they were younger, though as soon as Dean could comprehend where his father was, the times away became longer and more common, and he came back drunker, and the apologies became less frequent. Any other child would love the chance to be alone in a motel room with no adults, but not the Winchesters. They knew what was out there, what could come in, what could happen, though Dean tried to keep it away from Mary-Jane for years, though when she had found out, they both shielded Sam for as long as they could.

She was yanked out of her thoughts when the music had stopped completely, signifying the end of the album. She mentally braced herself for another brutally tense and awkward conversation from Dean and Mary-Jane, about her college education, her job, life, but instead of an oddly specific question about her job and friends, she was met with a rather generic conversation starter.

"How you holding up back there, champ?" He asked her, his voice clear, probably to try and convince his younger sister he wasn't tired.

Mary Jane shrugged and shifted in her spot for the first time in hours, sitting up straight and planting her feet firmly on the car floor. "I'm alright, I'm just...thinking, thats all. Have a lot on my mind." She admitted, gazing out the windshield and to the stretch of road in front of them.

Dean nodded and sighed softly, and the car remained silent for a few moments, neither of them knowing how to speak yet, and Mary-Jane took note that this was a recurring problem, though her thoughts were then again interrupted by Dean's voice. "You know," He began, and there was a pause till he had his younger sisters full attention, staring back at him in the reflection of the rearview mirror. "You didn't have to come, I guess," He told her awkwardly, and gave no further elaboration on the statement, which gave Mary-Jane suspicion as she narrowed her eyes at him.

Dean and MJ had been separated for nearly six years now, though if there was one thing that certainly hadn't changed, it was that Dean Winchester was very family-centric. In other words, this told her that Dean couldn't possibly mean what he had just said. As far as he was concerned, every man, woman, or child who shared his blood or ever even came into contact with John Winchester was supposed to devote their time searching for him and ensuring he was safe. If he didn't believe this, however, then there was no reason for Sam and MJ to be in the vehicle. He had to be testing her.

She quickly changed her narrowed gaze to a thoughtful one, and there was another pause in which she attempted to formulate the correct words, her eyes thoughtful as she stirred in her seat. "No...No don't say that. I...Of course I had to come. A few days, sure, it would match up with a bunch of dads drunken stupors, but this...a month with no contact? It's scary, you know?" She reasoned, sighing softly to herself. As much as Mary-Jane hated it, she knew she really had no choice, deep down. That she should come and help her two brothers find John Winchester. After all, the man was her father.

Dean seemed more than content with this answer, of course, letting out a small grunt of approval, and a nod. "We'll find him, MJ. Don't worry." He said to her, his voice still gruff. Mary-Jane opened her mouth to teasingly protest, with a witty, "I'm not the one who's worried", before thinking twice, closing her lips. She knew that when Dean stated that, it was more for his own benefit, his own reassurance. Dean needed to know they would find John, otherwise, he had no purpose. While MJ understood this, she just wasn't sure how long she could keep up with this charade. Manage this facade. Instead, her own eyes wandered, from her older brother, to when the could see through the windshield, and then her dark green eyes landed on her sleeping younger brother. Sam seemed peaceful enough in his spot, leaning back in his chair, arms folded across his chest. "Is he okay?" She asked, her tone softening as she spoke to her older sibling again, nodding towards Sam lightly when he glanced at her in the rearview mirror. Dean looked over at his younger brother, then back at his little sister, trying to piece together what he was going through without worrying her too much.

"Sams...He's a tough kid, MJ. You know that." Dean spoke slowly and indefinitely, like treading murky water, and while MJ was glad to change the subject off their father, she was clearly unsatisfied with this answer.

"Yeah? And how's the 'tough kid' handling everything?" She asked, much more assertive now, her tone was all Dean needed, to know she could see right through him.

 _"How does she do that?"_ Dean wondered silently, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. Dean didn't know how, and he didn't know if he'd ever figure it out, but Mary-Jane always knew how to spot a lie, especially from her brothers. It could be any little white lie, to a catastrophic one, but in her eyes, Dean was completely transparent. He cleared his throat, shaking his head slightly.

"He's fine, Mary-Jane.." He assured her as they pulled up to the morgue, stopping in the parking lot. Dean undid his seatbelt and turned his body a bit to look at his sister in the back seat. "He's handling it...as well as you'd expect. That's all." Dean started, and Mary-Jane nodded. She knew she shouldn't pry, Sam must've been going through hell at the moment. His girlfriend died right in front of him, he couldn't go to college, he lost his apartment, his future was ruined. If anything, MJ was surprised he wasn't completely detached from them. After a few moments of silence, however, Sam had shifted in his seat, causing both Dean and Mary-Jane to turn their heads and watch him carefully. The car fell silent again, both siblings too cautious to move, or speak,  wanting to make sure Sam was okay. Mostly, MJ was following her older brother, something she hardly did, but he was the one with Sam during the grieving period. If anyone could spot something wrong with him now, it was Dean.

And he was right, so it seemed. It wasn't long before Sam shifted again, his brows furrowed, his body tensing in his sleep. Though, her older brother drew the line when Sam began to mumble in his sleep, reaching over and shaking him. "Sam...Sammy wake up." He spoke sharply, and it didn't take much for Sam's eyes to open wide, and he sat up quickly in his seat, frowning to himself. It took a few moments for him to recollect himself, glancing around at the Impalas well kept interior. "I take it I was having a nightmare?" He asked slowly, and Dean nodded.

"Yeah, another one." Dean replied, and MJ sighed softly, placing a hand on her younger brother's shoulder.

"Well, at least you got some sleep, right?" She asked, giving him a quick smile, to which Sam responded to with a quick nod of his head. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right." He agreed quickly, before Dean spoke,

"You know, we're going to have to talk about this sooner or later." He interjected, though Sam seemed to brush him off,

"We're here?" He asked his brother.

"Yeah, welcome to Toledo, Ohio." Dean responded, with only a hint of sarcasm in his voice. MJ reached forward and grasped the folded newspaper from the center console, opening it to the obituaries. Her fingers traced over the mark they had made on the paper, thick, black ink, circling a black and white photo of a middle-ages man, the name underneath it reading, _'Shoemaker, Steven.'_

 _"_ What do you think really happened to this guy?" She asked, her own dark green eyes not leaving the paper yet. She had grown accustomed to the idea of death, of course, in her line of work, there was plenty to go around. Not just in hunting, but in her forensics career as well. She had visited many crime scenes before, to return to a lab and test. She had seen beheadings, violent beatings, even a cultic crime, at one point, only in her short two years as a criminalist. All murder scenes had been absolutely appalling, the stench, the blood, the remains of the victim, only leading her to believe that humans were the most capable monsters of all, even with their conscience.

 

"That's what we're here to find out." Dean said, moving to unlock the car, "Lets go, you two. On your feet." He told them to which they both responded to by exiting the car and shutting the door behind them. Mary Jane stretched her back, raising so she stood on the balls of her feet, extending her arms towards the sky, a yawn escaping her lips. The 8 hour car ride had hardly any stops, only once for food and a few times for gas and bathroom, and it was wonderful for her to finally stretch her legs instead of being cramped in the back seat. The three Winchesters moved to enter the morgue, Mary-Jane wrapping her arms around her torso as she walked down the hall, in between her two, much larger, brothers. It was a dimly lit corridor, with only a small amount of light flooding in from office windows, though it was odd to her. Most of the time, places such as these were well lit, and clean, much like a hospital (If not already located in one). The siblings made a turn into a small office, which was also dimly lit. The room was large, but really only contained two desks, only one of which was occupied by a stout, bald man, in scrubs. The trio approached the occupied desk, all of them shooting him a quick smile. Dean opened his mouth to speak, but MJ quickly cut him off before any sound could leave his lips.

"Hi, we're here to see the Shoemaker corpse?" She inquired, and the man raised a brow at them.

"And you are?" He asked cautiously, looking over them. That's when she realized, of course, that they looked highly suspicious. Her two brothers, in jeans and worn out jackets, and Mary-Jane was wearing a band t-shirt and black skinny jeans. None of them, looked in the slightest bit professional. MJ cleared her throat as she looked down at herself, tugging her laminate from work into view, flashing it long enough for him to see the photo and the NYPD symbol, though just from the laminate it wasn't hard to tell she wasn't a detective. "NYPD, I spoke to Dr. Fejklowicz about the case, it seems connected to one of ours back home." She said directly, before tucking the badge out of sight,  the man didn't seem convinced.

"And they sent you instead of the detectives?" He deadpanned, and Mary-Jane didn't even blink.

"Yes, they did. They're completely stumped, all they need is photos, and a fresh pair of eyes.." She stated quickly, before mentally slapping herself upside her head. "No...No pun intended." She corrected herself quickly, remembering what the newspaper had mentioned over the victim's eyes bleeding.

There was a long silence as the lab assistants eyes narrowed on them, "And who are these two?" He asked, and Sam cleared his throat. "Interns." He cut in, and MJ nodded, "They go to John Jay, back in New York, and they're studying the case for the term paper." She explained to him, and the lab assistant sighed. "Look, I don't think I can help you, I'm...I'm really not supposed to bring people back there. But, Dr. Fejklowicz will be back in an hour, you can come back." He said, and MJ rolled her eyes a bit. "You're kidding, right? This is extremely time sensitive, there could be other people out there, _dying_." She countered, placing her hands on the desk and looking him in the eye, to which the man responded with a shrug. "I'm not kidding. No." He stated plainly, to which MJ responded to by throwing her hands in the air, exasperated. "You've got to be fucking kidding me!" She muttered under her breath, turning away from the desk to take a deep breath.

"Listen, _buddy,_ I-" Mary-Jane started, but Sam quickly stood in front of her, raising a hand, signaling the lab assistant to wait. Mary-Jane was hardly focused on what he was going to do, looking at her older brother, who seemed equally frustrated. "Is this guy serious right now, Dean?!" She hissed, and Dean ran his fingers through his hair. "Honestly, I hope not, MJ, because-" He started, but before he could finish, Dean's gaze was averted from his younger sister to his younger brother, who was handing the man a sizable wad of cash, placing it on the desk. Mary-Jane's eyes followed her little brother's hand, glancing between him and the lab assistant, who wasted no time in standing from his seat and grabbing the money in his grubby hands. "Right this way." He told her with a grin, and Dean walked forward, placing a firm hand on Sams. "I sincerely hope that wasn't my money from the other night." Dean told him, and Sam shrugged.

"Got us in, didn't it?" He asked, and MJs frown vanished a little bit, her lips upturning in a smirk.

"Dude, I earned that money!" He reminded him, slightly stunned.

"Dude, you won it in a poker game." Sam responded, looking at Dean incredulously.

"Yeah, and?" Dean shot back as they began following the lab assistant, and MJ placed her hand on Dean's shoulder lightly. "All for the greater good, brother." She teased, and he rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, save it, shorty." He teased back, and Mary-Jane scoffed.

"Shorty? I'm hurt. Wounded, even." She feigned shock, which Sam let out a small laugh at, and Mary-Janes smirk only grew.

"No more bribery using my money, you two." He reminded them, pointing at the two who shared childish, mischievous grins.

It was a short trip to the morgue, and Mary-Jane watched as the lab assistant strode over to the body, which was still on the slab. The assistant carefully put on gloves, as did Mary-Jane, and she let out a small sigh. It was a familiar scene, of course. While she herself was more in the department of analyzing evidence at the crime scene, she had a few visits to the morgue, to check up on toxicology reports and things of that nature.

"Now, the newspaper said that his daughter found him. She says that his eyes were bleeding." Sam stated, while MJ zipped up her jacket.

"More than that, they practically liquified." The lab assistant guffawed, pulling black the thin white sheet that covered the body. The sight made Mary-Jane scrunch her nose slightly, the man's skin was pale, and it was obvious it had been hours since he had died, or at least since he was found. Where his eyes should have been, staring cold and dead at the ceiling above, empty, were large, empty sockets. She moved closer to the body as she studied it, biting her lower lip.

"Any sign of a struggle? Maybe someone did it to him?" Dean questioned aloud, and the lab assistant shook his head.

"Nope. Besides the daughter, he was all alone." He stated in a matter of fact tone that MJ wasn't fond of. It wasn't enough, that he had been a complete asshole before, but he was proving himself worse now, talking about this body as if it were a sight to be ogled at. A new wonder of the world, a circus monkey. This was a man, a father, a husband. Which children at home, who were desperately missing him. He had a life, a past, and his future was stolen from him. How dare this man have no regard for his previous life.

"What was the official cause of death?" She asked quickly, examining the sockets with great care, careful not to touch. She bit her tongue after to refrain from nearly exploding on this man, to the point where Dean would have to carry her out kicking.

"Docs not sure, he's thinking a massive stroke, or an aneurysm. Something burst up there, thats for sure." He explained, all while nodding his head, as if he was just waiting for someone to ask the million dollar question. While MJ didn't want to give him the satisfaction, her brother spoke up anyway. "What do you mean?" Sam asked, and MJ just tried to stay occupied with studying the corpse.

"Intense. Cerebral. Bleeding." The assistant , with a breathy laugh before moving to explain. "This guy had more blood in his skull than anyone I've ever seen."

"Clearly you haven't been working for long." MJ mumbled, rolling her eyes. Of course, she had been bluffing, but she wasn't about to let him see that. This caused Sam to step on her foot, causing her to hiss in pain, the sound masked by him speaking. "But the eyes, what could do something like that?" He asked.

The man looked between the blonde woman, and the brunette man, becoming slightly unsure of how to answer for a moment. "Uhm...Capillaries can burst. You see a lot of bloodshot eyes with stroke victims." He explained slowly, unsure on how to proceed.

"Yeah? Ever see exploding eyeballs?" Dean asked, which made his sister roll her still intact eyes. _'God what are you, eight, Dean?'_ She thought to herself, and the other man shook his head. "No that's a first. But hey, I'm not the doctor." He told them, which in MJs eyes, just made him lose any credibility he had with her.

"Well," Mary Jane said with a smirk replacing her frown once again. "No kidding."

 

* * *

 

"I still don't understand why you had to be so cold." Sam as they walked down the stairs, with the police report still fresh in mind.

"He was an asshole, Sam." She deadpanned, and Dean shrugged.

"She's not wrong, you know. The guy was...sort of a chump." He agreed.

"Ah, support at last!" She cried teasingly, nudging her brother's shoulder, to which Dean laughed.

"Yeah, don't get used to it." He teased back.  

"Anyway," Sam started, eyes narrowing to the two older siblings, "How do we know that this isn't some sort of...freak medical incident?" He inquired, and Dean sighed,

"Sammy, how many times in dads long and varied career, had its ever been a freak medical thing? And not and awful sign of a supernatural death?" He asked him, though it was more of a rhetorical question, not meant to be met with a literal answer. Although, MJ felt the need to respond, "Almost never." She reminded her little brother, and Sam sighed as well, "You're right. Lets just...go talk to the family."

 

It wasn't long before the three siblings had arrived at the Shoemaker residence, the front door left propped open, presumably for the memorial that was held at the house. Mary-Jane felt odd, having just seen the dead body of the man whom the memorial was held for. She also felt odd, however, because this was a memorial, a time where people grieving were to remember and reminisce on their times together, to help move along the mourning process, and they didn't even know him. They weren't mourning. They were here to find out more about his death, not celebrate his life, and the thought made her feel awkward, and Dean wasn't helping, especially when he stopped in the middle of the entrance, looking around at the nicely dressed friends and family of Steven Shoemaker, whom all donned black dresses, or suits and ties.

"Well," Her older brother started, first glancing at the picture of the victim, and then towards the living room, where guests were staring at them. Theirs expressions were all similar, all confused, curious, even. "I have a feeling we're underdressed." Dean drawled sarcastically, before continuing to walk further into the home. That's when Mary-Jane reached over and smacked her brother's shoulder, and Dean whipped around. "What was that for?!" He snapped, and MJ scoffed.

"Have some respect, Dean." She spat, and Dean rolled his eyes.

"We didn't know him, MJ." He responded, as if it were obvious, and his sister just rolled her eyes back at him.

"They think we did, so act like it." She hissed quietly, before making her way outside towards the back yard. The two brothers exchanged looks as their sister walked away, Dean's eyes wide as he raised his hands questioningly and shrugged, though Sams were much more stern, narrowing on his older brother, his lips tugged in a tight line. They turned back and moved to catch up with MJ, right before she had approached the group of teenagers sitting near the garden, engaged in conversation. There were about three teenagers, one with dark brown hair, cut in a bob, turned to face another girl, who instead had longer hair Of a lighter hue, which was similar to MJs length. The third was facing the both of them on a lawn chair, freckles donning her face, and blonde hair that resembled Mary-Janes own in color, chopped to it hung just below her shoulders.  The fourth member seemed younger, shorter and more childlike, around 12 years old, and she was sitting close to the short haired brunette, whom MJ could only presume was Steven's daughter.

"You must be Donna, right?" Dean asked, and she nodded, glancing between the three of them.

"Yeah..."

"Hi," Sam greeted awkwardly, while MJs eyes wandered over to the little girl seated next to Donna, frowning a little. She seemed much more unhappy than Donna, though there was something in her demeanor that suggested a sense of guilt rather than grief. Maybe it was the way she was staring at her lap, or that she seemed to be far more detached than the others. Maybe it was because she was younger and taking it harder, but MJ felt bad for her.

"We're... We're really sorry." Sam continues,  and MJ heard Donna respond.

"Thank you."

"Im Sam, this is Dean, and this is Mary-Jane." He explained to her, glancing between his siblings, and pulled MJ out of her thoughts of the little girl when he nudged her shoulder lightly. Her gaze returned to the older sister, then towards her older brother, who spoke next. "We worked with your dad." He explained further, and Donna glanced at her friend whom was sitting at her side, before looking at them. "You...You did?" She asked, and MJ nodded.

"Yeah, I mean...this whole thing...I stroke, you know?" MJ stated, sympathy evident in her voice, and that's when her friend seated next to her spoke.

"I don't think she wants to talk about this right now." She  pointed out quickly, a frown on her face as her gaze became defensive, but Donna interjected.

"Its okay. Im okay." She assured her friend first, then the Winchester siblings that it was okay to continue.

Dean nodded and continued, "Were there ever any symptoms? You know, dizziness? Migraines?" He inquired, and Donna took a moment before shaking her head. "No. No I don't think so..."

"That's when the younger girl whipped around and looked at her older sister, "That's because it _wasn't_ a stroke." She stated, sounding as if though this was something she had to repeat over and over again in an attempt to assert herself.

"Lily, don't say that." Donna murmured softly, turning away from her friend to get a better look at her younger sister.

"What?" Sam asked, and Lily looked up at them, her brown eyes wide and desperate as Donna spoke.

"I'm so sorry, she's just upset." Donna reasoned, and Lily spoke again.

"No! It happened because of me." She insisted, turning to glance at her sister before Sam stepped forward. "Lily.." He started to get her attention, walking over to the other side of her. The little girl looked at the youngest Winchester, and MJ stood with Dean and watched quietly. The three teenagers were watching Lily carefully, as if she had told them this a million times, and they were ready to silence her again.

"Why would you say that?" Sam asked her softly.

Lily glanced at her lap, wringing her hands slightly. "Right before he died...I said it." She told them apprehensively, unsure if she could continue, though Sam nodded.

"Said what, Lily?" He inquired curiously

"Bloody Mary." She told him hesitantly, "Three times in the bathroom mirror." There was a pause, in which Sam only nodded again, and Dean and MJ exchanged knowing looks at one another. "She took his eyes, that's what she does." Lily explained, though Donna interjected.

"That's not why dad died, this isn't your fault." She insisted, and Dean nodded.

"I think your sister's right, Lily." Dean agreed, and Lily's head turned to look at him. "Your dad didn't say it, did he?" He asked, and Lily glanced down at her lap.

"No, I don't..I don't think so." She reasoned, her head hanging and her eyes only glancing up at them slightly.

"Well there you go then, see? Not your fault." Mary-Jane reaffirmed, moving to place her hand on the girl's shoulder and looking at Donna. "You wouldn't mind if I grabbed her something to drink in the kitchen would you?" MJ asked, and Donna shook her head. "No, it's alright. Is that okay with you, Lily?" She asked, and the little girl only nodded and stood up, glancing at the boys, her eyes darting from them back to the house, signaling them to investigate further while she lead Lily inside, only to hear Sam ask where the bathroom was right before she was out of earshot. The home was a small and simple one, from what Mary-Jane could tell. Average furniture, simple taste, though beautifully decorated, to give the house a more sentimental, homey feeling. At first glance, you wouldn't think anything was wrong.

Until you realized that the father of the family was most likely murdered.

"So," Mary-Jane started when they entered the kitchen, which was surprisingly nearly empty. "You do know it's not your fault, right Lily?" She asked, walking over to the fridge and opening it while the girl was leaning against the counter, watching the woman.

"I...I know." She said slowly, unsure of how to respond, as MJ retrieved a carton of milk from the fridge, glancing back at her and raising a brow, awaiting her approval. She was met with a quick nod, and MJ smiled at her, standing straight and closing the fridge. "Where are your glasses?" She asked her, and Lily simply pointed to the cabinet right about the sink. Mary-Jane when to retrieve them, before asking. "So, Lily, why did you say Bloody Mary in the bathroom mirror?" She asked the girl smoothly, turning to look at her.

She shyly looked down at her feet, and sighed. "I was having a sleepover, with some friends from school and..we were playing truth or dare." She explained slowly, avoiding eye contact with her as she began to wring her hands in front of her, her eyes wide. "And I was dared to go say Bloody Mary in the bathroom." Lily continued, but then stiffened slightly, and her slow and hesitant tone became quicker. "But, not at first. She asked me if I wanted to make out with Benji Schwartz, and I couldn't just answer that, you know? So I changed it from truth to dare, and, I didn't even believe in Bloody Mary until~" She stopped in her tracks as Mary-Jane poured her milk and handed it to her, smiling. "Take a deep breath, it's okay. I understand, sweetie, but it still isn't your fault." She repeated, but Lily ignored this. "Do you believe in Bloody Mary?" She asked suddenly.

 

MJ stopped for a moment, taking a sip of her own glass of milk before kneeling down to be eye level with the little girl. She had to chose her words carefully, a child's mind is a fragile thing, she knew that. All of the Winchester siblings were good with kids, because they knew that's what children deserved. Compassion, someone to believe in them, encouragement, support, something their childhood was severely lacking. The twelve year old looked back at Mary-Jane, and MJ saw herself in her. Lost, small, in need of support, her own gaze reflected one MJ had at least once in her childhood. Desperate.

 

"I believe in things that aren't there." MJ managed to state when she had found her voice. "I believe that there are things in this world, that aren't human, or animals, that are...monsters. Things that can hurt you, but only if you let them, Lily." She revealed to her, placing her hands on the girl's shoulders gently, looking her in the eye. She had a soft spot for her, she was confused, and MJ didn't want her to fall into that pit of self loathing that her and her brothers did after their mother's death, and following their father's abuse. "I believe these things can only hurt you if you give them the power to. And I don't think Bloody Mary killed your father, Lily. Like you said, he didn't say it, right?" She asked, and Lily only nodded quietly, and MJ continued instead of waiting for a verbal response. "Exactly. He didn't give her that power to harm her. She can't hurt him." She said softly, smoothing the young girl's hair. "It wasn't your fault, you can't blame yourself, alright?" MJ asked quietly, and Lily nodded again, clearing her throat before answering her clearly now. "Okay." She muttered quietly, and MJ grinned at her.

"Good." She responded smoothly, before standing straight now, stretching her back a little bit, looking down at her, placing her now empty cup in the sink, offering to put Lilies aside as well, an offer she accepted when she handed the woman the cup. Mary-Jane placed her cup in the sink, and sighed softly, "Now, Lily, can you show me where the bathroom is?" She asked, and Lily nodded, "Upstairs, first door on your right."

 

Mary-Jane nodded, and smiled at her before the two turned their separate ways, Lily retreating to outside with her sister, while MJ moved to go upstairs to the bathroom, where she could only suspect her brothers were. She made her way up the stairs, pausing every so often to give her Condolences to passing family to seemed to have just been arriving, judging by them entering through the front door near the foot of the stairs. Mary-Jane walked up the stairs, and with each passing step,  the sound of idle chit chat and soft sobs faded to black, though more voiced appeared to be stronger, and grow louder as she approached the top of the stairs. She remained quiet, in case her brothers had unexpected and unwanted company, not wanting to make herself completely known in that case. It wasn't until she was two steps away that she heard a familiar female voice, rather than a recognizable male one that belonged to her brothers. While she couldn't exactly put her finger on _who_ was speaking, she knew she didn't like what was said.

 

"So either you tell me whats going on, or I start screaming." The familiar voice challenged as she reached the top of the stairs, the back of a teenage girl facing her, while she spotted her two brothers faces, in awe of the challenge, though distracted by the arrival of their sister. "Whats going on?" She demanded, making her presence known, causing the girl with whip around, eyes narrowing on Mary-Jane.

"I want to know who you are, and why you're here. You have two seconds, or I start screaming." She reiterated, and Mary-Jane scoffed and she walked over, standing next to Sam as he began to speak.

"Alright, Alright," He spoke, "We think something happened to Donna's dad."

"Yeah, a stroke," She girl quipped, but Sam shook his head.

"That's not the sign of a typical stroke," He stated, and there was a pause before he continued, "We think that something else happened to him."

"Like what?"

"Honestly? We don't know yet," He admitted, and the girl scoffed and rolled her eyes, "But we don't want it to happen to anybody else. That's the truth." Sam concluded.

"So if you're gonna scream," Dean interjected, "Go right ahead."

There was a pause, in which the three siblings glanced at one another before the teen spoke again,

"So, what are you guys? Cops?"

"Something like that." Dean responded, and MJ let a sigh fall from her lips, moving to remove a receipt from the gas station they stopped at on the way here. "I'll tell you what." She started, reaching into her jacket for a small pen. "If you or your friends ever have a problem, you ever notice something, see anything," Mary-Jane handed her the small paper with her phone number on it. and without waiting for a response, they left the girl, whom they later learned to be named Charlie, standing in the hall, clutching the paper in her hands, brows furrowed, only glancing back at the trio once.

All three Winchesters made a hasty exit of the house, narrowly avoiding further questioning from Donna, Lilly, or any other guests of the memorial service, for that matter.She let a sigh escape her lips once they reached the outer walk way of the house, though the currently calming atmosphere was interrupted by Mary-Jane breaking into a full sprint towards the impala, eliciting a surprised response from the brothers, who glanced behind them at the house before glancing back at their sister, who had a mischievous grin on her lips. "Shot gun!" She shouted at them.

"Seriously?" Sam deadpanned, raising an eyebrow at his older, yet not really mature sister.

 

"Yes, seriously!" She insisted, pouting childishly as Sam approached the vehicle. "I was so cramped in the back seat for _eight hours_. Pleaseeee?" She asked, batting her eyelashes.

 

"Fine. Only this once." He said, and though she couldn't see it well, as Sam moved to open the back door to the impala, Mary-Jane caught the ghost of a smile on his lips, and that was all she needed. MJ got into the passenger seat and shut the door gingerly before moving to fasten her seatbelt. Dean did the same and started the car, turning the key in the ignition as the car roared to life. There was a slight silence between the three before MJ interrupted it by clearing her throat.

"So," MJ announced. "Maybe you should drop me off at the closest motel? I could get us checked in and settled, get a head start on research with my laptop?" She suggested, drumming her fingers on her thigh.

"I don't see why not." Sam responded, though looked to Dean anyway. It was common rule that Dean was the final decision, even if MJ didn't agree with it wholeheartedly.

"That's fine. You'll be okay by yourself?" Dean asked gruffly, hands firm on the steering wheel.

"Of course!" She insisted, shooting him a teasing grin. "I'm an adult, you know."

"Yeah, yeah. I know." He shot back, nudging her shoulder lightly.

 

It wasn't long before Mary-Jane had reached the motel and checked the three of them into a room. Unfortunately, there was no room available with enough beds for all of them, so MJ improvised, and got them a room with two beds and a pull-out sofa for herself.

Of course, since she was alone, the boys didn't need to know she was taking the pullout couch.

 

She plopped herself down onto the mattress nearest to the window, letting a sigh escape her lips before digging into her duffel bag to retrieve her laptop from its bag, opening it up and allowing it to boot up before hoisting herself up from the bed and digging further into her bag to grab a change of clothes. MJ felt disgusting, since she was still wearing the outfit she slept in, and had been wearing it since the night before. She peeled off her clothes and changed into slightly cozier loungewear, which consisted of plain black leggings and an Aerosmith t-shirt. She took a good look around the motel room. It was nice enough, the group had gotten lucky. Instead of peeling wallpaper that revealed moldy walls, the walls were paneled with wood- real or artificial, Mary-Jane couldn't tell. She placed both of her hands on her hips, the room was a bit depressing, dark brown colors, and the ugliest comforters you've _ever_ seen on a bed, even for a motel. Brown with what looked like a design that belonged to a thrift store rug. Between the two beds was a nightstand, with only an alarm clock radio sitting on top, and near the bed where MJ was set up, was a round table with two chairs. Behind her was the sofa she had passed, and while the interior decorator should have been thoroughly fired from their job, Mj was surprised they had gotten so lucky with such a nice room.

 

It wasn't long before MJ became a bit lost in her work,becoming situated on the bed, with her laptop in front of her, typing and trying to find anything she could on what they were looking for, starting with deaths in front of mirrors, especially women named Mary. The alarm clock radio was blaring and Mj was slowly nodding her head to the music, her flip phone near her left thigh as she typed away on her keyboard in slight frustration. She could hardly work in silence, it made it seem so awkward without at least any white noise, and this distracted MJ the most. Her blonde ponytail swayed with every bob of her head, dark green eyes scanning over the screen in frustration. She had been working for only God knows how long, and she found nothing, not recently anyway. Even after checking the town's history, there were no deaths similar to Mr. Shoemaker's, which had set her on edge. Of course, when Mary-Jane needed information, that's when it conveniently became unavailable, or, just didn't exist.

 

Typical.

 

She was so lost in her thoughts however, that by the time she had brought it upon herself to snap out of it, she felt her phone vibrate near her leg. This caused her to jump a little, startled by the sudden movement, though hardly delayed her quickly crawling towards the alarm clock radio and turning it down a bit before diving back onto the mattress for her cell phone. She fumbled with the sleek, black flip phone before holding it firmly in her hand, running her thumb over the screen before pausing, eyes growing wide and her breath hitching.

_Not them._

_Not now._


End file.
